Hellhounds
by Aiko Isari
Summary: On a whim, the young heiress of GIGO saved a girl in the snow. Years will pass, they will grow up, and she will have to pay for that whim. Lucky for her, Taiga and their loved ones won't just take that without a fight. Decode Rewrite. Rating Subject to Change
1. The Nephilim and the Benefactor

_Warnings: Child abuse and abandonment, troubling unchildlike behavior, poverty, trope of 'always a different sex' is in effect_

* * *

 **One – The Nephilim and the Benefactor**

As a toddler, Kuga Yumi had gotten a puppy.

His fur was soft and lustrous and she had cared for him with an intensity unusual for children of her age. But Kuga Yumi was not like other children. She was slow to smile, when she did it unnerved and dazzled all the same. She stacked her blocks close together, stacked them like barriers. She fussed at the temperature of her arms. She was the little heiress of GIGO, a company which had saved the internet as they all knew it.

As a toddler, that puppy changed her.

That puppy brought out a little human girl. A girl who ran in the grass and ruined her stockings and walked him daily. Even if it was temporary, a little girl was able to break out of porcelain for a few hours every day. If it weren't for that, the pale girl would have spent so little time outdoors, and that would be just unhealthy.

Perhaps it was because of that that when that one rare snowy day arrived, young Yumi was in the right place at the right time. Her dog was on his leash, trotting slowly ahead as to not disturb his small, much more fragile human nor jostle her umbrella. Behind them was the ever present young man, dressed in civilian clothes. Yumi laughed on the inside sometimes. The guards seemed like less of a civilian than she did, and she was dressed in the cleanest, sharpest clothes her father's money could buy that the girl could put on without any fuss from a servant. Because to have servants for that much was just silly, she had a wicked stepmother for that.

As she passed by an alley, Shiro made a sudden turn, his nose pointed towards a small lump covered in snow. Well, small was relative, but it was small compared to the nearest dumpster. Despite the not-so-subtle throat coughs her guard made, Yumi moved just a bit closer, close enough to see eyes. Eyes that are so gray that in the snowy wind they seem just a tad bit white. They stared at her, right at her. Now that she listened, she could hear harsh, short breath. The person looked away quickly.

Shiro barked and the person jumped, shifting the snow off of them. This revealed matted, long hair, so dirty the color was indistinguishable from the grey bricks. What was left of the rags threatened to fall off.

Yumi watched this, her small, gloved fingers giving the leash a gentle yank. Shiro coughed and came back, whining at her foot. Obediently, she scratched behind one flopping ear, still looking at the person who had begun to crawl away. They made more hissing breaths, head slowly turning to the side.

In the span of one breath to the next, the little heiress spoke. "Kyoma-san, pick her up."

Her guard stared at her. The good thing about the little mistress was that she was rarely fickle. When her decisions were made, they were a true decision, which meant less whining, as was what tended to be the case with the other little master of the family. Still, that child, if that was a child, was obscenely _filthy_ and from the state of them, not long for this world. It would be a waste of time, and break the little girl's heart, if anything really could. So, he at least had to try and persuade her. "We are far from your apartments, young miss," he began. "And the hospital may decide to refuse them with their lack of funds."

"Then we will just have to be quick and persuasive." The firmness of her words did not surprise him, though it was a bit amusing. "Will it not be easier to look after me if I am confined to one place?"

The man let out a snort, and the little thing on the ground flinched. "I suppose that is true, young miss. Your father has taught you well." In reality, he could not refuse her and they both knew it. Her father would be the one to give her the punishment, if one was even remotely merited. "If you will step back, young miss. I may have to be a bit rough."

As the man moved closer, the huddled form made to leap away. However, the reflexes of a dying child were nothing compared to a fully trained man, no matter how much they squirmed. "Little miss, calling the car might be prudent."

Yumi frowned. "Of course, you're right."

Kyoma thanked both the company and intelligent humans for the child safe cell phone.

This wretch had better do the same as well if it lived, for the sake of the young miss' generosity.

* * *

Taiga became aware more sluggishly than usual. Perhaps this was due to the soft thing she was laying on. Her limbs felt deliciously heavy and it was tempting to sink right back into sleep. Then, however, her stomach began to hurt and yawn again. She wanted to scowl. She had thought, had _hoped_ , her body would have given up on food as it had on heat, and just provided the nourishment from thin air.

But it didn't and the pain grew so fast and so sharp that Taiga had to open her eyes as she groaned for it to stop. Immediately after, she closed her eyes again, the light of the room too sharp for her after all that time seeing pure white snow.

Once everything dulled (It never went away. It could only grow dull), Taiga opened her eyes to… a hospital room.

There was a word for this. Aside from fear anyway. She didn't want to think of it, however. She wanted to know where she was so she could leave, so she could escape the adult who inevitably would promise things they wouldn't end up able to keep.

It smelled in here, of fake clean things and medicine, and that smell was enough to make her try and move. Immediately however, gloved hands gently pushed her back down.

"I wouldn't do that," chided a quiet voice. "You still need that IV."

Taiga rolled her head forward and now that her vision was much less blurry, she could see a young woman with dark hair staring down at her. Taiga wanted to scream. All she managed was a croak.

Thankfully, that seemed to be enough. "Thank goodness you have woken up. You're very lucky, little one. If that girl and her dog hadn't seen you and done something, you would have frozen to death."

Taiga very much had to doubt that. Starved to death, maybe, but she doubted frostbite would kill her. A girl…?

It took her a moment to remember the blank face of a child, staring at her and clutching the leash of a dog. Speaking and then-

That girl and her follower person… had rescued her. Why? For what? She couldn't pay them back, couldn't do anything. It was pointless! She would just be thrown back out there and die once she was suitably healed. What was that even for?

The woman -doctor, she realized- seemed to see her disbelief. "That child is quite the eccentric one. I'm her personal physician you see. She doesn't do things without a reason, even if that reason may baffle the rest of us."

Should she really be saying much in front of me? Taiga wondered this briefly, but really was more concerned about what was going ot happen to her. Would she stay here? Get food? Get thrown out? What?

The woman smiled. "Just one moment, I can get her and you can ask all those questions burning in your eyes! Just don't try to get up."

As soon as she turned her back, Taiga attempted to try. However, feeling how heavy her limbs were made that an immediate no-go. So once the door shut, Taiga looked at the IV instead. She narrowed her eyes at it. It would be so much faster if she could just drink it.

" _And the result might kill you. I'm not sure."_

Taiga stiffened up, then relaxed. "Mi," she managed to croak.

Like smoke from an air vent, a small child slid up into Taiga's vision. He toyed with a pair of glasses with one hand and the ragged clothes he had on looked better than anything Taiga herself had ever worn except for those few days of-

She was not going to think about that.

" _I told you not to run away from them,"_ Mi chided. _"Someone was going to look after you."_

Taiga scoffed a bit.

Mi laughed. _"You're so stubborn. Looks like you got a lucky break though. This girl's definitely got her claws into you."_ Taiga shook her head and he raised an eyebrow. _"Surely you've noticed that you end up in more trouble because you don't listen to me? It happens every time. Just trust me. You need her. And she needs you."_ His young voice dropped off a little, going soft. _"She's going to be hurt very soon. And nothing I've ever done changes that no matter when or where."_

It was perhaps the sobering look that made Taiga take pause on whatever she had been going to attempt to say. It wasn't that Mi, her somewhat constant companion in his own way, was never serious. It was just usually buried beneath this apathetic sort of playfulness that made it hard to tell if he meant half of what he said. It got to be pretty annoying. But when he got that face, it tended to be important.

She wanted to ask what he meant, the cryptic jerk, but he vanished at the sound of a knock. The door opened, pushed by small hands and-

Yes, that was her. That was that strange girl, followed by the doctor, whose dark hair had gone slightly unruly over something.

"Honestly, your _mother._."

"Stepmother," the girl corrected in a mild voice, rubbing at her neck. Taiga thought through the clean smell and the remaining smells from the outside, there was a milder whiff of blood.

The woman shook her head. "And she won't let me forget it, yes I know, Yumi-chan. Honestly, still, this is a hospital. We treat injuries, we don't add to them." She sighed. "Let me bandage it now."

Yumi inclined her head. Her stare was right next to Taiga. Taiga squirmed a little, hunching up. IT was like she was being stared at _anyway_ , how was she doing that?

"Yumi-chan, don't frighten your new friend."

The girl looked away at once. Now that eyes were no longer dissecting her, Taiga examined the other girl.

Mi had explained to her that the best way to get adults to feel sorry for you was to be cute. IT didn't always work, but it had saved her life a good few times.

Looking at Yumi, at her long black hair and the tilt of her head, at the clothes probably more expensive than Taiga could ever imagine, she thought she could finally understand what Mi had meant. That girl would be able to charm hearts, if she stopped wearing that blank face. Though that face kind of made her own skin crawl.

After finishing with the bandage, the nurse gave Taiga a glass of water. It and two others were gulped down greedily until she could feel her mouth again. Taiga croaked out a thanks.

"When can I take her home?" Yumi asked.

Taiga barely managed not to spit out her water as the woman rolled her eyes. "Yumi-chan, she's not a toy." Something barked from the floor, and Yumi picked up the tiny dog. Taiga flinched a little. Dogs had never harmed her before… but… "You really should have taken him home, he's unsanitary."

"That woman would have cooked him." She looked at Taiga. "Do you want to pet him?"

 _No,_ said her brain. She nodded her head yes instead and then cursed herself. It was those black eyes, like the stare of a helpless teddy bear. Seconds later, she had a mass of fluff sitting at the edge of her bed and nosing her fingers. Taiga did not flinch this time, but she did twitch at the faint sound of Mi's laughter. _Some guardian angel you are._

Well, okay, he really wasn't but he might as well be.

She reached out her hand and was quickly licked on the fingers. Taiga pulled them back with a mild eep of alarm. She was supposed to sound more menacing than that. This did not stop the dog in the slightest and soon she had a lap full of white-blond fur. She stared helplessly for a moment before reaching down again.

"When can I take her home?" Yumi repeated to her physician after it looked like Taiga was fully distracted.

Tomomi made a face. "I am just not going to distract you, huh?"

Yumi stared at her unblinking.

Tomomi let out a sigh. "Your parents have to allow it, not you."

The little girl let out a noise like a snort. "Okay. I'll be back then." She walked out of the room with her head held high.

Tomomi sighed again and went to get another set of bandages. She looked at her patient and the dog tags without rust around her wrist. She looked more comfortable now at least.

She hoped Yumi had actually thought about this decision.

* * *

Yumi's pale hand touched her own with a single finger, causing Taiga to shift in alarm. The girl didn't react, not immediately, but her eyes went slowly wider. Good. She'd figure it out and give up, like that person had.

Except she didn't. She only tilted her head and said, "The car is this way."

Shiro sniffed Taiga's neck and licked it. Taiga blushed and made to follow. Then she stopped, a word bubbling out of her mouth, "Why?"

The girl kept walking. Taiga raced after her, or attempted to anyway. Her limbs still felt like jelly. She opened her mouth to ask again, wondering if she would have the voice. Or the strength. Or the clarity.

Then Yumi glanced back at her, eyes full of something, something Taiga didn't know immediately. "Why not?"

 _You two are really alike, Taiga,_ Mi whispered overhead.

Taiga's head snapped to the left and there was nothing there. She turned back. People were pointedly looking away from her. Yumi looked right at her and held out her hand.

It wasn't the first hand to be put near her face. It was the smallest, and probably the most fragile. And maybe that was why she took it.

Taiga let Yumi lead her outside, into a car that was too clean for her, with a pristine dog that was too friendly to her, and for the first time in her life, she didn't look back.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** _ Phew. Another Decode AU from me. Even though none of us know the canon, I know this isn't it.

Challenges: Titles Set Boot Camp 23. Hellhounds, AU Set Boot Camp 9. alternate relationships! AU (eg. Kouji and Kouichi weren't twins, Tomoki was Takuya's brother etc.), gameverse boot camp prompt - steel, manga verse prompt curve, Epic Masterclass World list, #3, remix tapes, Season Rewrite Competition, Valentine's Advent 2016 Day 4., New Years Mini Advent 2017, Halloween Advent 2015 day 30, and Mega Prompts 198.


	2. Cleanliness and Duty

_Warning for implied child abuse, humanoid non-human characters, child poverty, illiteracy and ptsd_

* * *

 _Two – Cleanliness and Duty_

Taiga stepped into the large apartment complex with nothing less than pure dread. The tiled floor was chilly and clean on her bare feet and the soot and gravel that had covered the remainder of her shoes fell onto the smooth floor. She flinched and glanced at Yumi, who did not even react. It made her stomach churn. Her angel savior did not… _react_ to things, it seemed. That bruise on her face was reflected on the tile in stark relief. Just looking at it for some reason sent an unhappy prickle down her neck. She didn't like that. The doll like face wasn't meant for bruises… though was a person supposed to look like a doll if they were rich?

She had no idea. This was her longest interaction with a person with money, ever. Even Shinta-san and… well, even they weren't rich, per say. They had money but that was all.

She hurried to follow Yumi, swearing she was being followed by eyes. Not security cameras. Eyes. Possibly through peepholes or around corners, as if her disgusting appearance was the most noteworthy thing to happen in years.

Taiga was so busy looking around that she almost bumped right into Yumi. She stuttered out a sound like an apology but she wasn't sure if it actually was one. Yumi didn't react to it at all. The most she did was look at her, scanning her up and down.

As the numbers counted down high overhead (she had no idea what they meant but she knew that was what they were.), Yumi spoke up. "I have a little brother. It's okay if you scold him."

Scold him? How? Was she suggesting to hit him?

"He hates water sprays," she continued. Taiga flinched at the rapidly opened elevator doors. "If you get his face, he stops. Like a cat."

Shiro made a whining noise of agreement, or Taiga thought that was what it was. It was a dog and she couldn't speak dog. He licked her dirty ankles and she let out a squeak of alarm. Yumi looked at them as the doors closed, a strange twist coming to her mouth. For a moment, Taiga thought she was actually going to laugh. Then she turned away, leaning on the tips of her toes to a higher button. The box lifted with barely a lurch, making Taiga nearly leap from her skin. Yumi's near-smile faded at once.

"It's okay," she says. "You'll get used to it."

Taiga didn't think so, but honestly it was so nice and warm in this building that she was starting to think that she would do literally anything to be able to stay in it forever. She swallowed and nodded. "Y-Yes," she managed to say. She only got that odd stare and desperate to avoid it, Taiga turned to look out the glass windows. Which was almost all of the elevator. She gulped. It couldn't possibly fall, right? She wasn't going to go down and slam into the earth below, right?

No, of course not.

Once she forced the thought out of her head, Taiga watched the world shrink beneath her feet, slowly becoming more like a sea of stars than a tight array of open buildings. She watched until the elevator gave a horrible jerk, sending her nearly tumbling to the neat white floor. Yumi's pale hands caught her and pushed her up with ease. Taiga flushed hard. It was only natural, she realized. She was a feather compared to even this frail rich girl.

Yumi looked at her, up and down, and then gestured forward towards the sliding doors. Taiga watched her warily. Still nothing happened, and Taiga scurried through them, fearing they would decide to close on her and then pain.

Yumi followed after, leading them from tile to plush carpet that sunk into her toes through the remaining rubber. Taiga wanted to sigh and melt right there. She didn't, because that would get her in trouble, she thought. Or she would lose Yumi. Somehow that was scaring her. She couldn't have that. So she trailed after her down many identical doors until she reached one with numbers and letters Taiga couldn't read. Well, she could tell them apart, but she couldn't read them. Those two hadn't gotten very far.

Yumi reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver card with a black stripe. "You'll get one," she said and Taiga nearly jumped out of her skin. "Soon." The little girl leaned on the tips of her toes and slid the card up. It was in that little movement that her dog raced towards the door, placing his front paws on it. "Is Kuro in there, Shiro?" The dog whined. Yumi's lips twitched and it was so minute that Taiga almost missed in. Then, continuing to lean forward, she turn the handle and gave the door a small shove. Without missing a beat, Yumi leaned back and didn't fall on the floor. Taiga looked between them with a frown.

 _I could have done that…_

"I'm home," she said into the well lit apartment.

There was a tiny thump and a mess of a toddler appeared in view almost like magic. "Onee-chan. You're late!" Bigger black eyes, messy hair, and round features that have never missed a meal, never suffered enough to go to the hospital. He didn't know pain. Those big eyes fastened onto her, going wide. "What's that?"

Taiga bristled and it almost made her take pause but didn't stop her mouth. "I'm not a that!" Then she immediately covered her mouth and looked at Yumi. She had yelled. She had turned on Yumi's sibling. It was over. She was doomed. She needed to run while the door was still open and-

"That's right." Yumi looked at the little boy with that same disinterested look. "She's not a that. She's living here now. Be nice to her."

Kuro looked at her and then back to Taiga. "What's your name?"

Yumi reached over and tapped him on the forehead. He whined and covered the spot with both hands. His over-sized sleeves slipped.

Taiga saw gauze.

For a second, just a second, she almost saw red.

Then she shook herself and looked down at the floor. "Taiga," she said.

"Tiger?" the little boy echoed. "You're named after an animal?"

Taiga jumped. "Well, I..." She looked at Yumi, who only blinked. "I dunno."

Kuro bobbed his head. "Cool~"

What did that mean? It was nice and warm in here.

"Kuro." Yumi caught the little boy's attention. "Go run the bath. Make it hot. What do you want for dinner?"

"Omurice." He barely waited for her to finish her sentence.

Yumi's lips twitched and it really was like a smile this time. "You always want that. Something else."

"Dumplings." The little boy toddled to another door.

Yumi made a new face and gestured to Taiga. It wasn't much of a face, but it was one. "Help me?"

"With… with what?" She was thirsty again. All this was too much.

Yumi shrugged. "I'm no good at fixing injuries. Need to know what to do to help. She will know."

Taiga trailed after her into another door. There were so many doors in this place. This room was dark barring the shuttered window. In the light, Taiga could make out messy sheets and a lonely foot. Yumi went to the edge of the bed and started to tug on the sheets. "Melia-san." Something groaned on the bed. She shook it with her small hands again. "Melia-san." There was a snore.

In the dark, Taiga could imagine that maybe Yumi was smiling. She stepped away from the bed, then took a flying leap. "Mama!" she said, loud enough to make Taiga jump almost a foot in the air as she landed. "Wake up!"

The woman jumped up and caught her, rolling off the bed and landing on her back. Yumi's face was nearly expressionless as this woman drew her close. "Yumi!" she chided. "That was dangerous! You could have gotten hurt!"

"You wouldn't wake up, Melia-san." Her voice was back to its quiet self too. "I need your help. I brought someone home."

The woman gently buried her knuckles into Yumi's skull. "You're too young to say things like that." She looked over at Taiga, who made to immediately back away.

Then she smiled, and it made all the feeling go out of Taiga's legs.

"You really did bring someone home, look at this little thing." She rose up from the floor and moved over to Taiga. Taiga wanted to melt into the floor. She was pretty. Pretty in a different way than those other people, pretty like Yumi kind of was. "Hello there, little one."

"H-Hi," Taiga squeaked.

Melia squinted and then tilted up Taiga's chin. "Let's clean you up and get you some clothes. And food. Has anyone eaten today?" Her own stomach growled.

"Melia-san hasn't eaten," Yumi said in deadpan.

"Don't speak so formally to your own mother, you." Taiga watched the mother's expression change and then go almost miserable and wan. "In the light she looks even worse," Melia mused. Taiga cringed and got a little smile in return. "Don't you worry, we'll help you."

She still wanted to know _why_.

But for now, it didn't seem like she would get an answer.

* * *

Hot water.

She was arguably sure it was a gift from the gods and even if it wasn't Taiga did not care. All that mattered was that she was in hot water and Melia was a scrubbing _fiend._

And she kept making her get out of the tub. She didn't like Melia. At all.

"We need to keep as much dirt out of the tub as we can, sweetie." Unfortunately, any of her protesting noises were only met with an amused smile. Like Yumi's lips should be. "And you have a lot of grime on you. And it's not cold in here."

"Is."

Melia giggled again. "Well, it's good to know you'll at least talk to me, if not my daughter."

Taiga wanted to sober, but those fingers were back in her hair again, scrubbing furiously at dirt and tangles. It hurt like little pinpricks that quickly softened into relief.

"Going to need to cut your hair." When Taiga made a noise of protest, Melia tutted. "Your hair's an uneven mess and the filth is not a good sign. You could get sick and you wouldn't like that now would you?"

Taiga swallowed and nodded. No, being sick was the worst. It made everything freezing cold even though she was too hot. It was the only time that Taiga thought anything could be too hot.

Melia's fingers continued and then she rolled scalding hot water over her body. It seemed like such a waste splashing everywhere. Then, like she was no more than a sack of potatoes with handles, Melia scooped Taiga up and put her back in freshly hot water. Oh. So that was why. Maybe this woman wasn't so bad.

"There we go. Much better." Look, the water's not coming out gray and brown anymore."

She wasn't. She could see pink and red scrubbed pale skin and pruned hands through the steam. Her whole body tingled.

"I'm going to get you some pajamas."

Melia left her alone. Taiga immediately sank into the tub to the point where only the top of her hair was above the surface. She wanted to sigh in relief but resisted, not wanting to choke up water and scare these people.

This was a perfect time to escape. To take advantage of their kindness, their naive trust, and run away. But she was hungry and without food, she would not have the energy to escape. And she didn't know the area they were at. Even looking out the window hadn't told her anything. So where was she to go?

No it was better to stay here. Outside was nothing but bad things.

Melia returned with a fluffy towel and something that looked like pajamas in the steam. "All right, Taiga-chan," she said. "Let's go eat together."

Taiga hesitated in the water. She thought of another, smaller home, where the woman had picked her up gently and hugged her through shaking sobs. Melia simply waited for her.

Tears touched her eyes and Taiga fought to contain them. Through the open door, Shiro the dog trotted inside and leaned onto the tub. He gave her a simple cheek lick.

"Okay," she agreed. She wanted another lick like that.

* * *

That night brought her to laying on a giant bed. Well giant was relative. It was big to her. At least she wasn't alone on it. Yumi was curled beside her, small and pale against the sheets. Taiga watched her, trying to get comfortable. It was hard. The softness, the easy drowning, it was hard to not open her eyes again.

So she watched Yumi instead. In sleep the blank look was replaced with a soft peace. As the moon passed over them, however, the small form briefly flickered. Something twitched atop the little girl's head.

Taiga swallowed. Her fingers, reflexively, reached for where the blur was. They were soft against the pads, soft and warm. Her fingers stroked lower, towards the base when she saw Yumi's gray, empty eyes stare at her. She jumped back, prepared to escape. Yumi's hand closed over her fingers. They trembled.

"Don't tell him," she whispered. "You can't tell him. Please!"

 _Him?_ "I won't," she managed to say, staring deep into those abyssal eyes.

Yumi nodded a little, then drew herself against Taiga. She was warm, and sleepy enough that she dozed off again nearly immediately.

Taiga resisted a little, but in the end, the warmth and the depth of the sheets, pulled her down.


	3. The Stranger Boy and the Demon Man

_Warning for child abuse, mentions of injuries, unhealthy thought patterns and coping mechanisms, casual mention of murder and arrest_

* * *

 _Three – The Stranger Boy and the Demon Man_

Days and nights passed. For Taiga, who had never consciously noticed the passage of time before, seeing a clock tell her these things and have it mean more than what temperature it could be or who would be out and about to steal from, it was increasingly more and more marvelous, and also infinitely less overwhelming. Granted, she still had to teach herself to not be on the alert for everything, but it was still… nice. Yes, that was a decent word.

If only she could use more words. But she had to be able to read for that. They were working on this, slow and steady. Well, not steady. More like stuttering.

Like today for example. It took everything she had not to throw the book at the nearest wall. Lucky for her, little Kurosugi did it instead and it hit with a thump.

"Really." Was Yumi's repeated, but no less deadpan, response. Taiga liked that word, it fit the strange girl too well, with her blank expression and lack of immediate concern. "What did the book do to you, Kuro?"

There was a little pause, then Taiga thought she could _hear_ the pout. "Not make sense."

"Mm. Akihiro will be here soon. He can show you."

Kurosugi puffed up, pufferfish hair and all. " _You_ do it."

"Can't." Yumi smoothed the creases of her dress. "I need to go meet Father."

"Plus she knows how," Melia offered cheerfully from the kitchen. "If she does your work for you, that's a problem."

Kurosugi muttered something that sounded rather venomous, even for him. Taiga looked down at her book. Then, desperate for a distraction, she looked towards the ceiling. When there was no sign of a little boy floating in the air, she looked down, torn between disappointment, and annoyance.

 _Now that I've got shelter, he's gone, huh?_

Then again, he had done it before. At that one couple's house, he had disappeared for a long while. To be fair, it wasn't like he could actually take care of her. He taught her things, keeping her able to speak and eat, capable of showing her how to lie, even how to steal. But he couldn't touch anyone. He couldn't touch food, he couldn't attack people (but she knew sometimes he really wanted to, to shake people until they cried and looked at the people underfoot). He couldn't do anything but be around.

That had been more than enough. At least, it made things less lonely.

There was no Mi. No Mi and a book full of words that just squinting at made her stomach roil with exhaustion and fear.

Taiga swallowed her tears and worked hard not to jump when Kurosugi threw himself out of his chair and made a noise of discontent.

Yumi, as seemed typical, continued to ignore it. She turned the pages of her own book. What was so fascinating about books anyway? Why were they useful?

Taiga chewed the pencil wood. Maybe it wasn't the books at all, but the words in them. But then, she didn't know for sure. It was very hard to tell. She bopped her feet against the chair legs. Then, Yumi hopped up and closed her book. She went to the shelf and pulled out another book. This was thicker, but the sight of it made Kurosugi's wandering eyes fasten on her. She carried it over to the couch and flipped it open to a specific page. Then she went perfectly still and waited.

In complete silence.

Taiga shut her own book after a few more minutes of attempting. It was cold. And Yumi staying still usually meant something. Considering how Kuro turned back to his own book with such decisiveness, it had to be… a game? Was that what it was called? Well, Taiga wasn't playing, that was for sure! She left the table and went to sit next to Yumi. Partially because her head hurt, but mostly because over the passing days, Yumi had been a very nice source of body heat.

Yumi regarded her beneath her eyelids. Then she looked away towards the pages. "Chapter One."

Taiga, with nothing better to do in this position, listened to Yumi's soft, steady words. It was… strangely soothing. She only stirred at the feeling and sound of Kurosugi crawling up on Yumi's other side. But it meant very little as moments after, she was asleep.

…

Taiga awoke to see nothing but a soft pink in the corner of her eye. Unfortunately, just seeing it was enough to vault Taiga over the back of the couch. (She would be very embarrassed later.) She didn't even hesitate to not look over it, preferring the idea of remaining as small and out of danger as possible. So therefore, she missed the owner peering over the back at her for a moment.

"Sorry." Their voice was quiet. "Didn't mean to scare you."

 _His eyes are kinda red._ She kept staring up at him, rather fascinated. She had seen purple hair once, and it had been intentionally unnatural, she had thought. This was natural pink, bright and bubbly. One of his eyes barely moved as he blinked.

"You okay?"

He had a very gentle voice. She didn't know why she thought that, but it reminded her of the kind man who had given her clothes. Maybe it was how he looked at her, now that she was daring to peek through her bangs and see for herself.

"Uhm..." She tried to nod, but considering the small space she had managed to wedge herself into (how had she gotten down here so well?) "I think I'm stuck..."

"Oh." He turned away. "Hang on."

He popped out of sight. At the sound of footsteps, Taiga's breath caught. He wasn't just going to leave her here right? HE was going to get Melia, or or somebody!

Then a hand latched onto one side of the cough. "Okay," he said. "Don't move your legs." And with a heavy grunt, he shoved the large couch so hard it sent dust flying.

Taiga stared for a moment as the pink boy came fully into view. Her jaw dropped. He was a weed! He shouldn't have been able to move the couch a centimeter, let alone that far across the floor. She could stretch twice and there would still be room!

"How..."

The boy blinked, looked at the couch, then back at her. He blushed. "Um… can you keep it a secret?"

A secret? She wasn't sure how anyone could keep _that_ a secret. Still, she nodded, because if he could do that to a couch, what could he do to her?

He smiled and something squirmed in her chest. It was warm and soft. "Brilliant!" He stepped towards her. "Let's get you out of here so I can put this back before Mel notices. I'm Akihiro by the way."

She took his hand as he offered it, and for a moment, an awful sensation of

-DANGER-

Knocked her head nearly off its shoulders. But it went away so fast Taiga almost thought she was imagining it.

"Taiga," she said, letting him pull her up. When he did so, she nearly flew up onto her feet. The whoosh of breath he let out made a giggle fall from her lips before she could quite control it. "Th-Thank you."

"You're very welcome." He led her to the side then went to the couch again. With another grunt and a hefty shove, it was nearly right where it had been before, thankfully minus her. "I've got superpowers," he said. "Strength and stuff."

Taiga wasn't quite sure if he was pulling her leg or not, but considering she had just seen him shove a couch and not do much more than sweat (how old was he anyway? He was barely taller than her!) she was kind of going to believe him. "Wow..."

Now that she wasn't trapped and her heart didn't feel like it was going to break her ribs, she looked around. "Everyone's…?" She had fallen asleep and been just… left here?

"Kuro went home to his mother. Kuga-san called for Yumi so Melia-san had to take her there." Akihiro let out a sigh. "Wish someone had called me first." At Taiga's wary widening eyes, the boy waved his hands desperately, face going as pink as his hair. "No, see, I'm supposed to tutor Kuro during the summer."

"Oh." Taiga, having watched Melia attempt to tutor Kuro, had to wonder if that was even possible.

He waited for her to gingerly sit back on the couch before nodding. "It's hard to get him to do it but really, it's not impossible. He just hates the idea of admitting he doesn't know how."

"How to read?" Well, she didn't know how to read and it bothered her. Not that she'd admit it either.

Akihiro, without any permission whatsoever, sat beside her. Taiga didn't know if that was rude, heartwarming, oblivious, or some mix of them all. "Well yeah, but how to do anything related to the business. Yumi's already learning. His mom doesn't like it, so he doesn't like it but… why would he like doing it?"

"I don't think you can like reading." The words fell out of her mouth before her self-preservation could kick in.

Akihiro tilted his head. "Hm. I dunno. Maybe. Maybe not." He smiled at her. "Want to try?"

Taiga thought about saying no, but curiosity got the better of her. Melia had looked scolding if faithful. This person looked… curious. Just curious. Slowly, she nodded.

Akihiro smiled and that warm, floppy feeling like a caterpillar returned. "Great! We'll start easy! Come on, let's go pick out a book. The dinosaur ones are the best for this stuff."

Taiga trailed after the strange boy, her heart in her throat.

…

It was just getting dark by the time Yumi returned.

The hour before, Akihiro grew distracted and twitchy. He boiled water and made rice and paced the room. Taiga watched beneath the warm quilt, debating on stopping him from repeating each gesture. All the while, the sky grew darker until even in the bright room, it seemed like the outside was pitch black.

Taiga was going to have to ask for a nightlight. At that thought, she paused. She really could ask for things and get them now, couldn't she? That felt like blood rushing to her head. The sensation quickly faded at the sound of the opening door. Taiga shrank into the cushions out of reflex, hiding her head under the fabric as Shiro the dog, started to growl.

The dog had not growled in the weeks she had been here. In fact, said dog had seemed content to be as happy as could be with everyone, coaxing out smiles and treats alike. But she could see him staring in the direction of the door with narrowed eyes and low barks rumbling in his throat.

The only reason he wasn't full out barking it seemed, was her, and the smell of fear.

Akihiro straightened, and Taiga heard the sound of the wooden spoon hitting the counter. "W-Welcome back." His gentle voice wavered with unease and something… something else. Something less human. But it was smothered beneath concern. "She's asleep still?"

"Slept all the way home." The responding voice was high. It didn't sound much like Yumi at all, except the lack of… something. The lack of hope, maybe. The lack of feeling.

 _Don't tell him._

Was… was this him? Was this the person who couldn't know?

"I see..."

"She worked very hard all day. I'm counting on you, as always."

No, that was it. It was the lack of active interest. The restrained idea to live.

She needed more words to ground her about this, to understand this. She didn't understand anything well enough.

"I'll take care of her." Malice. Malice, Taiga did understand. It dripped from Akihiro's mouth like spilled water. "You don't have to worry sir, she's in good hands."

"As always." A pause. "Is her little plaything in the room?"

Taiga went stiff. _Me?_ She had never been described in quite that way before but… she was certain that it was her he was talking about. Who else could it be?

"Her _friend's_ here, yeah." The word was reluctant but the warmth rose in her chest all the same. She didn't know why but… friend was significant. Friend was special. "She's kinda dozing off though. I'd leave her alone. Her seeing Yumi like this would be bad."

 _Like… like what?_ She could smell something. Blood yes, but, but something else too. She didn't recognize it.

"Yumi's only sleeping. It will be fine. Besides, I'm paying for her, aren't I?" The voice was creeping over, getting louder. Taiga did the only thing she knew how to do.

She jumped off the cushion, wrapping the quilt tighter about her.

"Who-who-who are you?" she stuttered out. A sinking sensation rose up in her stomach, and a terrible urge filled her fingertips.

 _If you kill him, it'll solve a lot of problems._

Taiga almost jumped at the sound of Mi's voice. It sounded decidedly… bitter. Bitter and lost. _It will,_ he continued. _It'll make a lot of things easier, but it will cause you problems directly. Your soft, safe place will disappear for sure._

Taiga swallowed to keep control of herself. _If I don't kill him._

Mi let out a tiny sigh. _More of the same._

That wasn't helpful, she didn't know what the same was.

"My name is Kuga Kenzo." His high voice was surprisingly polite and he didn't even move closer to her, only inclined his head from where he stood. "I see my little girl has chosen to take you in."

"Y-Yes." Taiga managed to say, though it certainly didn't feel that way. "Is-Is that important?"

Akihiro was shaking his head, a lithe pink blur.

Kenzo smiled. "What if you are a threat to my heiress? Of course you are."

"I-I'm not a threat to anyone!" Taiga managed to say. "I… I can't even hit people!"

Kenzo's quiet smile seemed to deepen. "Good. Please keep it that way. I'd hate to take away this fun and games."

Taiga expected to feel more dread, this heaping gut wrenching that would twist her organs even further. Instead she felt so… unhappy. There was a prickling at the corners of her eyes kind of like tears. She tried to look away, but in doing so, she saw Yumi sitting up. Stiff, sluggish movements.

Mi sighed. _I wish I didn't know what you were going to choose._

Taiga saw bruises.

She smelled rust and water and copper and some of it was underneath the cloying scent of spice and mint.

 _Mine,_ she thought clearly.

She wanted something. She wanted something and she could ask for it and she could have it.

So she decided to want and snatch and _keep._

And with that thought, Taiga lunged forward, ignoring whatever was said next as the sensation in her hands reached breaking point.

Unfortunately for Kenzo, he was right in the line of fire when she lost control of it.


	4. Lines Crossed In Sand

_Warnings: Failed murder attempts, ptsd, child abuse, issues._

* * *

 _Four – Lines Crossed In Sand_

No sooner had the power rushed out that Taiga felt sick. What was she doing? Thinking of owning people, thinking of _harming someone else,_ what was she doing? But as far as she could tell, it was too late to stop. _Fire_ rushed out from her body like it had always been there and was reaching this man too fast to-

And then it wasn't. _Nothing was moving._

Mi sighed. _Man I hate it when I'm right. You're too nice for your own good._

Taiga couldn't even blink. She tried for thoughts but they seemed so far away. Everything seemed way too far away to actually be reasonable. It was _disturbing._

 _I'm glad I saved up some power for this._ Mi floats down. _It's really hard for me to interfere in your world like this. The barriers are still too thick. I mean, if they fell apart it would be different but then you'd be in a lot of trouble. Best to let things move as they will instead. Except now. I can't have you get arrested. That never ends well._

He landed on the floor and Taiga was immensely grateful she can't move her eyes to see the rest of Yumi's half-risen state. What she had seen. Instead she has to look at very real fire closing in on a man's face and panic suffuses her because if she succeeds in hurting him _it's all over-_

 _Relax._ Mi's silent footsteps terrified her in a way she'd never even considered before. He could have snuck up behind her (and killed her) and she would never have noticed. _But I haven't. And I won't. No point to it, if I'm being honest._

That wasn't comforting.

 _Never said I was._ There was a pause. _Now to fix this…_

That was the last thing she heard before her brain, overwhelmed, shut down entirely.

When she awoke, her face hurt. Scratch that, her face hurt _badly._ Her right cheek swelled up like a balloon, arms flickering with burns, or what felt like them-

And Yumi, curled up beside her on the swimming pool of the bed. Her face had red streaks on it and the bandages still remained. She didn't stir, but Akihiro did. However, he did not move closer, for some reason.

"You fell," he said before she could ask. "You were trying to get away from Kenzo-san and the blanket caught up in your socks." For a moment, Akihiro squirmed with discomfort. "You're lucky you hit the carpet."

Taiga trembled, the words at her mouth, but not daring to say them at first. It was a lie and he was nice and if she tried to force the truth out of him, he might leave her too. So she couldn't do that. She couldn't dare-

"That's not what happened."

And there she went anyway.

Akihiro's eyes flickered and for a moment, they looked red. And there was very little light to make that a trick. His throat worked. Then he reached out and touched Yumi's hair with thin, almost brittle fingers. "You almost killed her dad," he said in a low voice. "But you fell. Somehow."

"Yeah." Her throat closed. She could see the bandages. If she squinted, she thought she could- no, no no derail that thought, he's not there- "I couldn't do it. I… I couldn't, I can't, that's bad, that's-"

"It is." Akihiro cut off the rambles in her throat, watching Yumi twitch in her sleep, as if she heard them. The moon passed over and again, Taiga saw the soft tufts of fur, tipped white. She glanced at Akihiro, who stroked around them with expert palms. "It's very bad. But sometimes people have to do bad things."

Taiga shivered, wincing at the pain it all brought. "I… I don't think I can."

"That's good." Akihiro tugged at the long pink locks on his head with his free hand. "You shouldn't have to. You should focus on being happy." He smiled now and for a moment he looked so _old_. "Yumi-chan likes you too. So don't try that again."

"I dunno if I could," she admitted.

Akihiro giggled and she had never heard a boy do that. Then again, she hadn't heard many boys laugh at all. None that weren't jeering or weird or things like that. Then he sobered. "I think you could if you had to. But." He stood up from the chair. "I hope you don't have to." He stretched. "I'mma go get Melia-san so she can touch up your face. She didn't wanna without your permission."

Taiga watched him go, unable to speak. As the door opened, she saw swelling on his fingers and maybe something further. For a moment, she felt that red sensation well up within her for a second time, only to be flushed out by shame. And guilt.

She couldn't do it. She just… if she did, she would be taken away from a healthy source of food and shelter and warmth. And well, she liked being here. She was finding it nice to be here and have people look at her and think they care.

 _(She wasn't going to delude herself into thinking they did.)_

She could use this. She had to use it or who knew what would happen?

So Taiga shut her eyes and moved closer to Yumi's warmth.

* * *

Everything went back to normal. Or, somewhat normal. Akihiro was around every day now, for a grand total of a week. Then, school started, and everyone but Kuro was gone. It basically meant spending hours alone, cautiously poking tv channels or attempting to read without help. Well, she could ask Kurosugi, but she didn't think he'd be much help. He was so busy trying to avoid it.

Yumi read to her almost every night and somehow, without waking, Taiga found herself in Yumi's bed the next morning. Just thinking about it now made Taiga's grip tightened on her awkward plastic chopsticks.

"I don't like it," she murmured to her breakfast.

Yumi looked at her from the stool, having dropped the dishes in the sink. "The food?" From her side of the table, Melia looked distinctly like a kicked cat.

Taiga raised her hands to guard and shook her head no. "No! No, it's good! It's..." She looked down. "It's amazing…" She rubbed her eyes before continuing. "I just… how do I get to bed every night? I sleep lightly and yet every time I wake up from the book and I'm under the covers! It's just… it's weird!"

The three of them all stared at her and Taiga felt her hackles start to rise mixing with terror like it tended to until-

A strange, sweet sound filled the air and Taiga briefly had no idea what it was. Then she looked and realized the sound was coming from Yumi and it was laughter. Real laughter. The kind that had the girl curling in on herself in her attempts to control it, the kind that was tipping the chair dangerously far.

"Only you, she gasped out with mirth, narrow eyes squeezed shut.

"It's quite natural to be confused about being safe," Melia said mildly, thought she too was smiling. "Considering she's only been off the streets for a handful of months. Humans are remarkably adaptable." But she was still smiling in that way that meant something was safely amusing.

But Taiga didn't really hear this sentence. _Safe._ The word drummed into her head until it became nigh incomprehensible. She slumped into her chair. Her eyes swam with tears as she remembered something else, two others promising she was safe now and always would be. And they had lied. These people had promised her _nothing._

And here she was. Safe. Fed. And, as the table, all three of them even the smallest and most spoiled, coming to hold her in some way, loved.

The simmering anger flared up. But this time, Taiga felt she could grab it and hold it in her hands. For the first time, the heat felt like it was hers. She could use it. And she would. For them and theirs.

Taiga was so engrossed in these newfound feelings that she didn't notice Mi standing by the window, a small, light smile on his lips.

Someone else did.

* * *

"What's school like?"

"Mm?"

Taiga waited, pouting a little. "You heard me." And now that she was aware of it, Taiga noticed this difference. This lack of fear and discomfort. She would never have made these expressions before.

Yumi seemed to notice beneath her dutiful pillow fluffing. "Kuro's taught you a lot, it seems."

She blinked at her. "What is that supposed to- you're distracting me!"

"I am not. I'm only observing."

Frustration, amused frustration but frustration nevertheless, welled up in her throat. "You are!" And before she could stop herself, Taiga threw her own pillow. It smacked into Yumi's face with a comical thump, frizzing up her hair and hitting her lap. Taiga froze, only to have to duck as her own pillow hit her chest. For a moment, Yumi seemed to be smiling.

Then it didn't matter, because now the pillows were flying anew.

Eventually, the two of them were laying on the large bed, panting and letting out small giggles as they fought to catch their breath. Taiga struggled to contain herself, feeling a new warmth on her cheeks and the steady, fast thumping of her heart.

What was that? It was… fun! It was so much fun. And Yumi had looked happy. Something like happiness anyway.

"Do you want to go?"

Yumi's question shocked her out of her peaceful reverie. "Go?" Her stomach filled with dread. "Go where?"

"To school. Like me. Like Kuro." Taiga heard the bed creak as Yumi crawled over to look at her. "It's very busy and every day is long."

"Do you like it?" The world wasn't split into like and dislike, she knew, but it was still… it was still something important, surely.

"Sometimes." Yumi nodded. "Akihiro and I talk about various things."

"Akkun is nice," she agreed.

Yumi's eyebrows quirked. "Akkun?"

Taiga made a face. "His name is too long."

Yumi hummed. She didn't seem to agree or disagree. "We'll talk to Melia-san," she decided after a few moments. "You're behind somewhat."

Taiga shifted to roll on her side. ""Do you think I can?"

"Why not?" Yumi yawned. "Why can anyone do anything? Because they fail to do it the first time."

Taiga thought about that. "Yumi-chan, that doesn't make any sense at all."

"Sure it does." Yumi went to crawl onto a pillow. "I said it, so it makes perfect sense."

"No, it doesn'!"

Melia smiled and shut the door on them as Taiga heard herself laugh. The sound of ordinary child antics… what a nice change. Kuro was one child, and one who kept trying to be babied in a house that didn't do well with babies. So if this new orphan could create a balance… could be her Yumi's friend…

Melia didn't know her hands were trembling until she nearly dropped her tea bag. She knelt to pick it up and failed, twice. She shivered, trembling all the more as the moon passed over the dark hallway.

She had to do whatever it took to keep that laughter, to salvage it.

With a steel her cheerful eyes rarely possessed, she straightened and went to her computer. The possibility of tea remained behind on the floor.

At her desk, she stared at her blank email. Her fingers twitched. Would this even reach him? She had no idea. But… if this could, she could take a risk out in the open.

" _I'm doing this for you, you know. You must know this, Meli."_

"No," she murmured to herself. "You most certainly are not, Kenzo."

He had been such a nice man in the beginning. Before what happened to a lot of good men: they got greedy and desperate. The world was too nice to them and then it decided to crack its whip.

And well, he was possessed. That did no nice heart any favors. But she wouldn't forgive it. She was a vindictive demon herself.

Melia bit fangs into her lower lip, finished the email, and clicked 'send'.

The response was immediate, as if time had stopped long enough to make the message. 'What do you need?'

Melia, where she thought no one could see, clasped her hands in gratitude. "Thank you, Mirei."

But Kurosugi saw.

* * *

Charle knew her husband was fond of sleep. Perhaps it was his upbringing of going without it for days at a time or the heavy sounds of battle in the throat, the heart and soul. He couldn't say. She wouldn't ask. She just indulged him the little luxuries. Besides, he always returned the favor to her, watching over their small ones throughout the day and giving them all a way to relax at night.

So seeing him awake at this hour and with his laptop in bed with him no less, gave her pause. "Someone dying?"

"Someone might." He sounded vaguely annoyed, which made her decide to lean on his free shoulder. "You know, I thought Demon Lords learned to stop and lick their wounds."

"Another schemer." She felt her eye twitch. "You'd think the failure with mum would have been enough of a minder."

"You and I wish." He sighed and put it down. "We have threatened and abused children, and a couple of assassins. It's Christmas for our elders. And we might find your sister."

"Might find old Bel?" Charle tried not to roll her eyes. "Mirei, that's Christmas and mum's birthday in one. We'll have new flood of children in a month."

Mirei sighed. "If I can play this right. The long game isn't my specialty, I'll admit. But I can do it if I must. IF I can cut him this soon, I can focus on other things. Like Mother."

"Like the death squids yeah." Charle grinned wider at the look of disgust on his face. "You never should have mentioned those."

"Probably not." He leaned back and put the computer down. "That world is a very difficult place to get into, even without him snooping around. It's going to be annoying."

Charle laughed and clapped the lights off. "Sounds like your favorite thing to do." She leaned back at the falsely stormy look on his face. "Easy boy, easy. I mean well, you minx cat."

"Weird fish," he grumbled into her throat. "You're going to help."

She rolled her eyes and dragged the covers over them. "Thanks for asking my permission, god boy."

"Like you weren't going to do it, you gadget-stealing thorn in my side."

She could feel his amusement even without the stiff stance of his tail. He rolled on his side and she leaned against him. "You got me, husband mine," Charle agreed. "But I wanted the chance to pretend to do it under your nose." She kissed him on the nose to prove it. "So, do I get the fun job?"

"You want to go to Earth?"

She checked his purple eyes through his bangs. Then, she made a face. "You've said Earth cities smell like petrol."

Mirei huffed now, looking years younger than he already did, the centuries aged fogey. "And your hometown stinks of bamboo oil and misfired spells. Your point is what?"

Charle resisted the urge to defend her hometown before thinking about his question. Then, slowly, she began to smile. Unlike the cat smirk that decorated her husband's face, her teeth spread wide and sharp like a crocodile's mouth until her eyes sparked in the dark. "I get to do some kidnapping, don't I?"

"You get to do some kidnapping," Mirei agreed, only to give an undignified yelp as she hugged him right to her chest.

"You do love me!" She kissed him on the forehead, still with that maniacal smile on her face. Because that means I get to blow up people. Or at least beat the stuffing out of them."

"Something like that," Mirei agreed, putting an arm over hers. "Let's deal with this in the morning, before someone hears us talking."

Charle could barely contain her excitement to do so. "We'll need more rooms!"

"You are so weird."

She swatted him on the ear.


	5. The Last Pieces

_Warnings for pstd, panic attacks, non graphic imagery, some slightly graphic imagery, implied and stated child abuse, implied and referenced actual abuse, poor coping mechanisms, and implied body horror_

* * *

 _Five – The Last Pieces_

Taiga, not for the first time in her life, thought about running away. Usually, she did run away but now nerves and fear and _cold_ rooted her to the spot in front of what to her looked like a spotless building full of people with money. It was April, why was it this cold, she did not understand-

Melia's hand touched her shoulder and nearly made her jump out of her _brand new clothes._ At the sight of her, the little girl clamped around her like a game crane. She wasn't just regretting this decision. She was _terrified_ of this decision. Why had she wanted to go to school again?

 _Because loneliness is worse than death._

Her brain was so dramatic, wasn't it?

"Take a deep breath, Taiga-chan." Melia's face was suddenly swimming in front of hers. "In. Out. Repeat." Taiga did so until her hiccups became soft, steady breaths. "Better?"

"Y-Yeah." She shivered. "Sorry..."

"Nothing to apologize for." She sounded so calm and it felt so much like failure you-

Taiga made herself breathe again. "'m okay."

"Mm." Melia was still relaxed, or maybe she was presenting being relaxed, it was very hard to tell at this point. Taiga didn't think she'd ever be able to tell. That was the weird thing. Melia just presented someone different, sometimes every time. How was a person able to handle that? "Then we should get on it. Akihiro-kun's friend goes here. He said he's very… excitable sometimes, but his heart's in the right place."

 _Akkun has friends?_ That was baffling in and of itself, he was always hanging around them. Taiga had to wonder if she was taking up much of his time. Well if she was, so was Yumi, right? That made it tolerable.

As if summoned, her sensitive ears caught the sound of two pairs of footsteps. Reflexively, Taiga looked to her right and saw a slightly tall boy and a shorter girl walking together, green with stronger and longer strides and blonde with quick, cautious ones. She held her backpack like it would blow away while he tossed it over his shoulder.

Akkun's friend. She was certain that was who the boy was, all sparkling light and disturbing colored hair. There was something else, something about… both of them that just didn't make sense. Like Yumi. Like they belonged. Did Akkun belong? Yes, a part of her was certain.

What she didn't know, or perhaps want to admit (for she was very young) was to whom they seemed to belong to.

Melia smiled at the two of them, and then, with such subtle movements that Taiga thought she had imagined it, directed herself to block Taiga mostly from view and be in the eye of the taller boy. "You're Shinomiya Ryo-kun, aren't you?"

Much more casually, but just as well done, the boy tilted his head and took the girl's hand. She did not, surprisingly, roll her eyes. Instead her steel-grey and blue eyes went dark with caution. The boy only smiled, and it was the strangest little face she had ever seen on another human being. It was stilted with something vaguely wrong. "Yeah?" There was no fear in it, Taiga realized, like she would have whenever an adult knew her name. There was in fact, the prospect of some… challenge. "Who wants to know?"

"My name is Melia." Her answer was prompt and sweet, with no last name. "Akihiro-kun might have mentioned meeting me today."

"Aki?" Another expression change, blank as a chalkboard and still with those lips twitching with mirth. Then his eyes, red as blood (that made her suppress a shudder), glowed, turning a brilliant, sparkling scarlet. "Oh, _you're_ Miss Mel!" He didn't let go of the girl's hand, only dragged her forward. The blonde girl took on an expression of long-suffering that came from years of painful, awful long endurance. "So this is Taiga then?" He dragged them both to peer at her.

Taiga almost shied back, but his entire demeanor was different now, so welcoming and full of innocent glee. It was like a hot bath.

"She's cute," Ryo declared with the tone of the always right, though those two words were ones Taiga didn't think she'd ever grasp when referred to herself.

"She'd probably not like to be a museum exhibit," grumbled the girl, finally yanking her hand away and ignoring his whined apologies. "Or appraised by you, you weirdo."

"Niko, you hate me."

"I do not," she countered, glaring in his general direction and Taiga couldn't help but wonder where the lie was. It was disturbingly uncanny. Then the girl turned back to her, glasses sharp and nearly shining in the sun. "So, you're living with a rich kid."

"You'd be rich if your dad invested," said Ryo, seemingly both noticing and ignoring the shiver that had crawled up and down Taiga's spine. He leaned over and seemingly ignorant of anyone's personal space, leaned his head on Taiga's shoulder.

Her face was much too hot she needed a cold shower, urgh.

"Pfft." Niko met his exuberant smile with a scoff and looked back at Taiga. "Get off her, you lummox." She ignored Ryo's apparent, offended outcry and offered Taiga her hand now. "C'mon, let's get you inside before we're on time."

"I be-" Taiga looked at the hand, then back at her. "On time?"

"Yep!" Ryo stopped pouting and waved his hands. "Because if we're early, the crowd misses us."

Niko shuddered comically. "Harpies."

"You're so cynical."

Melia giggled, but it was that polite giggle, not the full blown laugh from around the table. "Well, with you two around, I don't think I have anything to worry about, but just in case." She winked at them all. "Let's get everything taken care of inside."

Taiga considered running to Mt Fuji.

* * *

Charle had sincerely thought her husband was joking about the smell. He hadn't ever been to Earth in his life what the hell did he know? Standing on a rooftop was currently the only way to avoid the utter acrid sensation of it and boy was that not enough. It wasn't quite as irritating as her husband being _right_ but she was getting used to that because he just so often was. Smug little prick. She loved him so much.

But he hadn't told her Earth settlements were dense. There were so many smells and sounds out here that it was a miracle anyone didn't go and get lost on overload alone. How was she going to find that Melia chick in this mess?

 _Follow the smell of the carnations and fornication._

That was the phrase her mother had used to bait what she affectionately and spitefully called 'the mitten-kin'. She had no clue what the actual name of the species was but they were part-catmons and their tendency with yarn was uncanny. So the name either stuck or ticked off enough people to stick anyway. Hah.

Charle sighed and made to jump. She was just going to have to actually look for that woman. Damn it. And some prickling of the hair at the back of her neck kind of made her want to hurry.

…

She was happy, Yumi noted. Taiga was coming home from school happy, if Akihiro's texts were anything to go by. What a relief that was.

She had been home early and since for once Taiga wasn't home. Tonight there was a meeting and she was required to attend despite being, in the words of her mother, much too young. Father didn't care much, of course, but he wouldn't.

She blinked those thoughts away and looked into Melia-san's eyes, that familiar soft gray. "I'm glad she's all right."

Melia frowned at her, in the same way she frowned at Kuro for taking cookies out of the jar. "You don't have to go to that meeting."

"Father said I did."

"Kuga-sama is an awful man with awful ideas on raising children." Pause. "And his wife is no better about decision making. It will be late, too late for a young child."

She was being… strange. The woman had birthed her, so she was her mother but she was also not supposed to _be_ her mother. Father had called her nanny. 'Mother' had called her a mistake. There was a word she used for Yumi too but Yumi didn't remember it. She used so many terms. "Melia-san?"

Yumi noticed her trembling. This heavy uncertainty. How would she handle it?

With Father, she simply would not. She would escape his presence until he calmed, until he was someone to be reasoned with. With Father's friends, they trembled for a different reason and she could not leave. That was against protocol.

Then again, Melia-san, by default, was against protocol. And this bothered everyone. For the first time, it did not bother her. It scared her.

She crawled into her mother's lap, consciously aware that the things she normally did could not be done, and sat there, head on her chest, waiting for sense to be made. Instead Melia wrapped her arms around her daughter and wept.

Yumi didn't know what she was crying for or about, but she let her. Because her mother would not throw her away. And if she did, she would pick her back up again. She was the one who always did so. Her and Kuro. And now… others. Possibly. She doubted it, but it was possible. Anything was possible.

"They will not do this again." Melia's voice was faint but there was something in it, something so cruel that it didn't seem to belong to her. "Not now, not ever again."

Yumi wondered why it hadn't been stopped before. And yet she couldn't help but recall the times her mother came home and went to the shower for an hour, until Taiga knocked timidly at the door. And she realized…

"Why not?"

Melia smiled and kissed Yumi's hair. "Because he has nothing over us."

Yumi thought of Kurosugi, of her little brother who was now getting ready for a real, full education. Who was beginning to read and had soft messy hair and when he smiled like he meant it was a beautiful image. "No."

Melia looked down at her. "The game Kenzo's playing is complicated."

"No," Yumi repeated, willing her to see, willing her to listen.

Melia set her down but there was no fear. "He can't risk it."

" _No_ ," Yumi repeated, more strongly this time. Her mother was a threat, she was not supposed to be a threat, she was supposed to be the good one-

Melia moved to stand. "Yes, Yumi." The tear tracks were drying. "He will not get you. He will not get your friends. He will not get Kuro. He will get none of them. I won't allow it!"

" _NO!"_

The bedroom exploded.

* * *

Akihiro's sudden pause midstep make Taiga frown. Even Ryo had stopped walking and he was now vibrating in place. It didn't seem like Ryo knew what staying still entailed. Akhiro paid them no attention. He was staring in the direction of the apartment they were walking towards, unmoving.

The air felt colder than usual for April and Taiga heard Mi's voice, full of mourning. _"That woman tries so hard to do the right thing. I really hope she survives this."_

Then time sped up again and Akihiro seemed to teleport from existence.

Niko stared after him and the cartoony dust cloud. "Does he do that a lot?"

"Only when he's far enough away." Ryo's reply was quick and cheerful, belying the strange gleam that had returned to his eyes. "Let's catch up."

"How in the-" Niko started and Ryo tore down the path in great cheer. "And there he goes. Again."

"Does he do that a lot?" Taiga couldn't help but echo her.

Niko let out a grunt. "Unfortunately. Usually he carries me in the process but something must be happening." Taiga wasn't quite sure she wanted to understand why Niko would need to be carried anywhere. She was certainly old enough and seemed healthy enough, somewhat, so what was the reason?

Well, did it matter now, they had somewhere that they needed to be.

Home, she thought. The thought filled her with equal parts of exuberance and dread.

And then there was another explosion and it came from her home. She was absolutely certain of that.

Taiga took Niko's hand and made to run. Neither of them was very good at it so by the time they got there, all there was was smoke to see at first. There were no firefighters. There were bystanders. But they were only watching, watching in that way real grownups tended to observe, that sort of 'we need to help but what can we do' way that was almost as bad as 'well there's nothing I can do' and both were wrong in a sick sort of way. Melia and Yumi had proven there was always _something._

And now that something was going up in flames.

Taiga swallowed the screams in her throat as Niko fumbled for a cell phone too big for her hands and something moved in a shadow but she couldn't see it and everything told her to run in and _help-_

Then Akihiro was right there, holding Yumi's body and Ryo was holding something that looked like-

"M-Melia-san?" Taiga couldn't breathe but she could remember _exactly_ how she looked before and it wasn't like that, it wasn't limp flesh and bones and-

"Ssh." Ryo looked perfectly unfazed by the utter destruction in front of him as he set her down. "She'll be fine. We've got them. They'll be fine."

Akihiro muttered something that Taiga could not understand, handing Yumi to Taiga like she wouldn't drop her and oh-

nononono

She was too light she was like air and yet Taiga had seen her eat, what was happening?

The two boys ignored her hyperventilating, ignored Niko's desperate snarls for an explanation and an ambulance and a bright red glow lit up the world and Melia's body too.

Niko looked away and Taiga swore she heard her throw up but she couldn't look way from the sight of the body moving like that, sucking up like a tornado to the heart that reformed and replaced-

"How is this..."

"It's complicated." Akihiro's voice was soft and short. "we need to concentrate."

The following sound made Taiga throw up and she made sure to do it where it wouldn't hit Yumi. But the very movement made now bone white fingers dig into her arm and chest and the girl's eyes looked maddened, pupil-filled and seeming to glow.

"Don't go," she said in a voice that wasn't empty but was now too full. "Don't let go."

Taiga couldn't move to agree nor to disagree. She just froze until her grip went slack and the world went still. Darkness faded from Yumi's hair and skin, leaving soft ears and a tail visible in the setting sun. Just like Melia's.

And someone's footsteps were too loud in the dark. Taiga looked up to see hair close to the color of snow, a softly pale face grown taut from exercise, tail and warmth flopping and drooping with dislike.

Familiar. So familiar.

"Mama?" Taiga asked her older reflection. The young woman's eyes went wide and Taiga felt the whole universe tilt on its axis once again.


	6. Picking Up Parts

_Warnings for: implied body horror, discussion without exploration of abuse from a parent (inference to sexual abuse), mentions of triggers, implied past non-human non-platonic relationships as well as platonic, mentions of brainwashing, desensitization, effects of trauma, past parental abandonment._

 _This story is generally not gentle to children at the moment. It can't help that. But it's going to get better, and worse. But that's how trauma is. Please feel free to turn back at any time._

* * *

 _Six – Picking Up Parts_

Kuga Yumi is the heir to the internet.

Kuga Yumi is an illegitimate child. Therefore, Kuga Yumi is not a child at all. Kuga Yumi is a commodity, an item for the sake of convenience. Kuga Yumi, like Melia Idris, was an item to use, torn from a proud race of something or other, and Kuga Kenzo had once loved them earnestly and made a mistake.

Back when she had gotten the dog, Kuga Yumi had shone for her father. And he had snuffed it out, so quick and heavy like a brick. She wasn't even certain he had meant to because his smile that day had been so bright. Regardless, his birth wife had, snuffing out her smile with screeches of disappointment and cooing over her boy's first steps.

Yumi, safely in her mother's arms, had felt no envy. At the time she had only felt disappointment at the sight of the slightly bigger back, as at the time, the small man had seemed quite like a giant wall she could never leap over. He remained that wall, the wall behind which doors were locked and people were invited in and no matter what she said or did, she would not be let out.

Of course, she was let out, on her leash with its seemingly endless tether, and not alone. There were reminders, little treats, a hit too strong on the nose and training. Always training.

They are all warned, her teachers, not to leave visible scars. But all wounds were good at was having and scab when never left along. And her father, or the man who he had become so quickly, seemed to enjoy letting them do so.

* * *

The conflicting scents are the only reason Charle hasn't lost her mind right now. Well, that and there are small children in the area. Eight-year-olds forcibly cementing a body. She didn't even know where to start with that one.

"Takes a lot of trust to do a healing that strong," she said in the most conversational tone possible, clutching the two other children with the same ease she did her toddlers. She eyed the two knelt over who was very likely her husband's contact with no small amount of respect. "Digital kids?"

"Yeah." The green boy looked at her with bloody eyes, for only a second, returning to look at the shuddering form of the last girl. She was trying to glare at them and ask questions, Charle assumed but it was hard to do that when you were one, under the age of ten and traumatized and two, wiping puke off of your face and shirt. Poor thing. She was so getting a bath. "Directory lady?"

Charle's eyebrows rose up a fraction. "Yep." No point in keeping to a mysterious facade now, these kids were from old ground. Digital World ground. "How did you end up here?" She didn't even flinch at the sound, though after the stories her father had told, disgusting and accurate as they were, it was hard to be disgusted. She was more concerned about the smell of sulfur and honeysuckle from one girl, and the panic oozing potential ozone from the one that looked so much _like Bel._

Except this wasn't Bel, and her sister was only good at caring for two things: kids and plants. Couldn't take care of herself without flailing and sure as hell couldn't take care of a house. If it was for a kid, Charle was pretty sure her sister wouldn't even be able to find dust in cracks in the walls, if there were even any cracks. So why would a kid who looked like her look like she was just getting the weight back?

 _Could be another sibling._ Nope, no it couldn't. Her family was notoriously misanthropic, it was amusing how she and Bel had stayed this long. _Could be another clan._ And she hadn't heard the politicians bitch about it? Nope. _Could be an anomaly._ But she still smelled like Bel.

Conclusion: Her sister was either missing or dead and either was not going to end well for whoever did it to her.

First though, dealing with this.

Mirei's contact shuddered back into life. Not consciousness, but she was alive and the poor blonde girl was looking at the two boys like they had just broken natural law. Which they had. Sigh. She turned to the girl, who immediately tensed. That was a problem. She did not look that bad. Jetlagged, confused, and annoyed, but not that bad.

"I'll get you an explanation if you give us a place to go," she said. The girl wobbled. Visibly wobbled. Right, small child. Young child. Recalibrate. Charle softened her expression. "Let's get a bite to eat so we can talk."

The little girl whimpered. The green boy twitched as if he wanted to move over to her, but seeing her flinch, hesitated. The pink boy gave him a rough shove over. Or kind of rough. He stumbled over and hugged her, taking care to keep his messy hands away from her. She let out another horrified sound.

Charle's eye twitched. Oh yeah, she was kidnapping some children tonight.

* * *

Yumi was limping through the darkness. Not running. Father discouraged running. It looked like desperation, fear, pain, like something was wrong. And nothing was wrong, not really. It was just that her father was teaching-

 _grooming-_

disciplining-

 _hurting-_

\- Her and it made things so difficult. It was hard to keep a straight face when everything hurt and felt out of place. But she had to keep going. Her mother was at home.

Was she really? Hadn't she just destroyed that chance from ever happening? How though?

No, she couldn't possibly.

Her mother wasn't supposed to be around as it was. Her mother, she was supposed to be out of sight, complacent, obedient. Just another secretary, just another-

" _A demon like that is another good time, so they've said."_

Yumi felt her entire being spasm and _denial_ rose up in her mind, her voice saying one thing and her mother's gentle admonishing of-

" _Those people are hurting you."_

\- Mixing like condiments on a foam lunch tray with that thought of 'but he puts me back together again' and it all turned into some parody of laughter.

Her mother had sounded like her father for a moment, all steel, all knowing what's best. That wasn't her mother. It couldn't be, it could not be, they weren't the same-

She couldn't let them be.

Decorum and everything forgotten, she raced forward. Ran and ran forward and away. Until there was nothing but darkness until nothing obscured the ears and tail unfurling over her hair and from her spine.

The litany of denial followed her as far as the eye could see and further still. Further, until a warm light grabbed her and tugged her through.

* * *

Charle let the kids order the food, considering she had more Bit than was possibly legal on a single card and no idea what was actually edible around here. Though none of that stuff smelled edible with that much oil. She could smell it from the apartment across the street. Either the smell was strong or these walls were thin. Or both. Probably both.

She needed to stay here anyway, with three people unconscious. The girl had stuttered out her father wouldn't be home for a matter of hours even though it was already dark. That was discomforting. Was she going to need to slap multiple parents today?

Reluctantly she turned her gaze away from who was very likely her niece (she couldn't remember Bel having a baby but then she couldn't see a reason for her not to. Except now said little girl looked like she had been homeless not five months ago and was with a… Charle gave another experimental sniff and blanched. Oh. Shit. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small disc, roughly the size of a smoothly polished skipping stone.

"Essentia," she murmured. "Stand by, message set up."

The disc began to shine a gentle forest green. "Call contact?" The mechanical, male voice sounded with something like concern.

"Emergency contact one." Charle kept her voice soft, watching the woman starting to stir. Melia's face bore no trace of wounds or scars. "Message: Destructive DigiSoul reversal. Digital child soldiers on landmass. Abused half-human." She paused. "Clues to Bel. Call for followup, alone. Send."

"Naturally." A single chime indicated the message was sent. Charle sat back on the sofa and closed her eyes.

DigiSoul was a powerful, powerful thing. For humans living in a mostly inorganic world, it was the ideal, malleable power. It only grew stronger with bonds. Bonds of friendship, of enmity, of love… well. There was the technical reason behind most marriages, particularly those of human and digimon partner, which was still uncommon and frowned upon. Not that she could particularly blame anyone for such a thought. A fantasy rarely crossed over with reality.

But it did. That was why she existed.

She resisted the urge to touch the children on the head, to pat them both and keep them sleeping. But no, she needed answers. And they were the only ones to provide at least some answers. The question was, would they be willing to do so?

Essentia let out a new chime to interrupt her thoughts, forest green lightening up to lime. "Call registered."

"Pick up."

A screen opened in front of her, the disc floating at chest height. Then, her husband's face appeared on the screen. His expression was solemn, the closest he ever got to grim.

"The little ones are asleep," he told her, his voice cautiously soft. "Don't yell."

Charle swallowed but nodded. "Thanks." She took a deep breath. "Where should I start?" She glanced at the door. The kids still weren't inside.

"The situation. Then the details."

Charle nodded. "I didn't see much. Green fire and an explosion and your friend an acid goop or…. Or something. And a couple of the kids saved her."

Mirei made a face. "I'm going to gather that the little one caused the explosion. Right on Melia."

"The others were on the ground and the kid's got no burns of any kind." Charle nodded and glanced at the little girl again, right as the moon passed over and revealed the fur once again. "So, what would you say? Emotional repression plus abuse plus digisoul plus a trigger?"

Mirei nodded. "That said… Melia was trying to get Yumi out, which means either she's lying to me, which is very difficult, or-"

"Barbamon's using someone else. A relative, a family member and-" Charle paused. "Okay, wait. You said the last time that Barbamon did this sort of thing it was out of revenge and also out of a desire for isolation of varying species. But if he's using a relative, or for argument's sake, is a relative, then isn't he going against his own agenda to cause this ruckus?"

Mirei let out a sigh. "Barbamon is horrendously contradictory. He's one of the only Demon Lords who actively dislikes his conscience and yet still follows it in a religious sort of manner so long as it fits his ideal. That's what Mother always told me. She was always certain if he hadn't been bound to her he would have brought about much more harm."

"Cowardly old codger, isn't he?"

"Heartbroken, desperate, cowardly old codger," Mirei agreed. Then his purple eyes turned into pools of anger. "Regardless, he is obscenely twisting the nature of a child towards its submerged, primal curiosities much too young. And without care for the consequences. If that was just a simple, quick trigger, a true, final betrayal, an outburst would be mutually destructive, especially when channeled into someone else."

Charle's eyes widened with slow horror. One explosion of raw emotion. And DigiSoul was not an isolated thing. Everyone had a heart, therefore everyone had a DigiSoul. The more it got repressed, the more feelings were repressed, the more they would simply leak, and the leak would touch and corrode and finally burst out. "He's trying to make a god damn tykebomb. For what?"

Mirei shook his head. "I couldn't tell you. The old fool's quite fond of blowing everything to smithereens but I doubt that would be enough for him this time." He took a breath and then stopped. His eyes darted to the right side and Charle looked down to see Bel's potential daughter starting to stir. Melia's eyes were already open. There was a little terror in that face, in those eyes. But most of it was disorientation. She would be dealt with once she could be trusted to sit up and not fall to pieces. She couldn't overwhelm her. For the moment, this was the immediate problem while the cat was unconscious.

Charle put on her kindest smile and said in a soft voice. "Hello."

"Mama?" The timid, drowsy little voice threatened to splinter her heart.

She hated to break that potential hope. "No. I'm sorry. I think I'm your aunt."

A slow, sleepy blink. "My auntie?"

Charle nodded as Taiga sat up tentatively. "My sister has been missing for a long time."

"Missing?" The little girl's mouth opened and closed. "Not… Didn't she leave me? She's been gone?"

"She's been gone since before you were born," Charle said, one ear twitching at the sound of the door. "I was hoping that the distress call I got might find her. However, I found one better." She smiled again and she saw the very second the child's heart dropped its walls. "I found you. What's your name?"

"Taiga." The other girl had spoken. She sat up, stoic in the mouth but her entire aura flaring out, twitchy with dislike. "She's Taiga."

Charle nodded, seeing the water forming in Taiga's young, terrified eyes. She wasn't sure what to feel. Tentatively, she reached out her hand for Taiga to take. Thankfully, she did not. That sent more relief than it should have. Even a little bit of wariness meant the desperation for a positive person was not entirely overwhelming. She would not do everything to please this potential new hope. She would not be naive. Or maybe she was holding back some cards. It could be either. She had only known the girl for under an hour.

Both of them.

The cat child looked at Mirei. "Who are you?"

Taiga's fingers curled over hers as the door opened. Mirei's expression had turned to a thoughtful frown.

"My name is Mirei. Your mother asked me for help."

"She did." Stone. Anger. Struggle. Control. Failure. "So why aren't you here?"

"Because I am physically incapable."

Taiga kept staring at Mirei, now that he was talking. She was starting to shake, wide awake and body flickering.

"It's you," she whispered. "It's _you."_

Mirei tilted his head. "I beg your pardon?"

"Mi!" Her voice took on an insistent tone, which caused the other girl to flinch. "You brought me to her! You looked after me! Don't you recognize me?!"

Charle watched Mirei visibly cringe. Then he let out a sigh. "So that's where my brother has been."


End file.
